Interview With a EuroMillions Player

We all dream of winning that massive EuroMillions jackpot one of these days – some of us dream more, some enjoy the games more and don’t care as much about the winnings, and some crave desperately for a win… but the thing that is clear is that exactly everyone, one hundred percent of us, wants to win.

What might not always be as clear is what the money would go to, would we get to win a EuroMillions jackpot. Many of us have some vague idea of “a more luxurious life” or come up with some easy answers like getting a new car or a new house. Others come up with a stream of consciousness blathering that would make James Joyce blush. And others yet are simply stunned into silence.

I sat down with one of the millions of Europeans who play the EuroMillions lottery every week – Amelie, a 24-year-old French communications student from Paris, and simply asked her – so if you were to win, what would you do?

EuroMillions Destinations: Iceland, Canada, Finland

First a stunned silence, then the return question – “If I would win, if I would win how much? A standard €15 million jackpot?” I nod silently and she chews on her lip for a while, thinking. Then comes the first answer to come to her mind.

Amelie would travel a lot, not necessarily luxurious travels, but travelling cost a lot even if it’s just flight tickets and the most basic hostels. She wants to go to Iceland, to Canada, go hiking, maybe with a tent. And she wants to go to Finland and study Finnish.

She also includes that she would most certainly take much more frequent, spontaneous trips without feeling like she couldn’t afford it.

“The Life I Always Wanted”

“I would have the life I always wanted”, she says, and I curiously ask what exactly that entails. “I would buy lots of amazing foods, I would cook different meals every day. I could go to interesting restaurants and not worry about the bill. I could do what I want, when I want, without worrying about money. And I would get a bike!”

Amelie tells me about her current bike, an old wreck she bought used and with breaks that don’t work properly. I ask her if she would continue studying and she says yes.

“Maybe I would even continue studying longer than planned, if I don’t have to worry about having to work. I could study subjects I find interesting, without feeling like I waste money or waste time I could have spent working. But maybe I would take a sabbatical year first.”

The EuroMillions Dream of Financial Independence

As we keep talking, Amelie comes up with more things in her life that are imperfect just because of her limited income. Apart from her broken bike, she needs a new computer that manages the software and the games that she likes. She wants shoes that are both pretty and that doesn’t get her wet when it rains.

“And what about your family, your parents, your friends?”

Amelie thinks for a while, and then says she can think of lots of gifts she wants to get her parents, if she could only get the money to afford them. A EuroMillions jackpot would most certainly help. A new coat for her dad and a new house for her mum are only two examples.

A Luxurious EuroMillions Lifestyle

“What about luxury?” I ask her, feeling like this has been suspiciously left out so far. “Would you want a life in absolute luxury?”

“I want to get a cat!” she says, kind of ignoring my question for the moment. “I’ve never been able to afford having one before. And I would go to the hairdresser more often, I usually wait around because it’s too expensive. Same with gym membership.”

“And yeah”, she adds after considering for a while. “I guess I would also deal with the luxurious stuff too – hire a cleaner for my flat so I don’t have to do it myself. Get groceries delivered right to my door, for example.”

A Big Flat in Central Paris

She asks me if I think she’s missed something, and I point out one of the more popular dreams of EuroMillions players – getting a new home, either a luxury mansion or maybe just leaving your home town for another city or even country.

Amelie currently lives in a 15 square meter flat in central Paris, and she tells me that while she wouldn’t want to leave Paris – at least for now, that is – she would indeed like the idea of getting a better flat.

“One where all the neighbours don’t hear every step I take”, she laughs. “And a bigger one, obviously. A two room flat with a real kitchen, at least.”

The Dreams of EuroMillions

The dreams of course and clearly vary from player to player, but there are many common elements. Like Amelie, most players I’ve talked to dream of travelling, of discovering the world, going places where they’ve never been before, and might never be without getting the chance from the EuroMillions lottery. Others dream of luxury, of nice living and food, of new cars. Others yet would spend the money on pursuing their interest – maybe collecting, or purchasing a big home telescope to view the stars.

Whatever our individual goals and dreams are, we all have one thing in common – we are all EuroMillions players, and we all dream of that one big drawing that will change our lives forever.

The next drawing takes place tomorrow, on November 19th, 2013, and the jackpot is estimated at €15 / £12 million. I hope you have your ticket ready – if not, you can still buy it.